Adopting Harry
by LaFerry trash
Summary: When Harry's on the run after blowing up Marge, Fudge decides that the best way to protect the Boy Who Lived is to make him live with one of his Aurors. And who'd be more eager than our favorite, newly graduated, pink-haired Metamorphmagus?
1. The Start

_AN: I know that Harry really wouldn't be allowed to move from the Dursleys, but I'll just pretend so. This is my first FanFic, so excuse my grammar or other mistakes. Enjoy!_

I sat in my cubicle, trying to read a report about a sighting of Sirius Black. I'm still just a newbie, so I don't really get to do anything - just analyzing the reports. Boring as hell, I tell you. I was sleepy and couldn't focus, and I just wanted to get home and into bed

I saw Fudge come into the office. He disappeared into Scrimgeour's room and then they both came out, Scrimgeour yelling at all of us to get out.  
>We all stood in the hallway, outside the doors of our cubicles, and Fudge spoke.<p>

"You all know what happened with Harry Potter last night. He made his aunt swell up and took the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley. You also know what a big risk that was for him. I figured that the safest thing for him actually would be to live with someone trained to protect and fight. I know this is very fast and surprising, but we need someone as fast as possible. Someone who hasn't got family or kids, that might be easier. Is anyone here intrested in adoptng Harry Potter?"

Adopting Harry Potter. Hm. I didn t have family or kids, and my flat would have plenty of space for him, if I just cleaned up a bit.

I put my hand in the air. Mum would freak, but who cares?

Cornelius Fudge pointed at me. "Excellent! What's your name?"

"Nymphadora Tonks, sir."

"The metamorphmagus? That's good, Harry would need a good laugh. No offence. With who and where do you live?"

"I live alone in a London flat, not far from Diagon Alley."

Fudge beamed at me. "Excellent! Come with me, please."

I followed him into his office.

"Fill in these papers, Nympha - "

"Just call me Tonks, please." I filled the papers (most of it was about when and where I was born) and gave them back. Fudge examined them.

"Very well now, please come with me. We need to do this fast, since he's by himself in Diagon Alley. You have the rest of the week off to make him feel like home."

"Okay, sir."

We apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and went upstairs to the room Tom said he was in. I was getting slightly nervous. After all, I _am_ known for making rash descisions

"Hello, Harry," said Fudge as we entered room eleven.  
>The skinny boy with messy black hair and green eyes sat on the edge of his bed. He jumped by the sight of us. Little fat Fudge and a witch with currently blue hair. Must be quite a sight.<br>He looked nervously at us and said, "Hello, Minister."

Fudge chuckled. "Oh, you don t have to call me that, Harry. Call me Cornelius. Now, may I introduce you to Nymphadora Tonks. She's an Auror."

I stretched my hand out toward Harry and he grabbed it. "Wotcher, Harry. Just call me Tonks, please, not Nymphadora. I don t know what Mum thought of when she named me."

Harry smiled weakly and let go of my hand to look at Fudge. "Um, why are you bringing and Auror to my room? Did you decide to arrest me after all?"

Fudge smiled. "No Harry, you won t be arrested." Then he looked serious. "Harry, I must tell you something important. Sirius Black, the escaped prisoner, is after you. He s been murmuring, 'He is at Hogwarts' in his sleep repeated times, and we do not want you to go unoprotcted."

I felt a flick of anoyance when he spoke of Sirius that way. I knew Padfoot would never had done any of that shit they said he did.

Kinda bad way to tell the boy, too, I must say. Not that I would ve done it better, but he looked shocked.

He took a deep breath. "So you want an Auror to follow me around, or what?"

Fudge smiled. "Not exactly. Harry." he cleared his throat. "You don t really want to live with your uncle and aunt, right?"

Harry sat straight up, a very awake look on his face. "Absoutely not!"

"Well, we figured that the safest for you to live with someone who s trained to protect and fight. Harry, do you want to be re-adopted?"

Harry swallowed hard. "I - I really would, sir."

Fudge beamed. "Well that s good, 'cause I visited the Auror office and asked for volunteers today."

"That s why you're here?" Harry shyly asked me.

"Yep," I smiled. "He wanted someone with no husband or kids, so here I am." Harry smiled a little and Fudge continued.

"So, Harry, you agree to be adopted by Nymphadora Tonks?" he guestered towards me.  
>"Yes," Harry said. I smiled wider.<p>

"Well, then it s settled! Tonks, I'm going to inform the muggle minister, and if you see any muggles, morph so you look more like him, alright?"

"Okay."

"Then I'll leave you two to get to know each other," he smiled and left.

"Okay Harry," I said, and he suddenly looked nervous. "First, you need to know the Golden Rules. First; absolutely no calling me Nymphadora, got it?" He nodded, somehow relieved.

"Two; um, can you cook? I really suck at it." Harry nodded hesitantly. "Good then. Rule number two; Tonks gets the groceries, Harry cooks them. It s a safety rule, so the house won t get burned down. You know, I m dead clumsy and if I m in a kitchen for too long, I ll destroy it. And you ve probably already understood that I talk too much."

Harry smiled at me. "Not at all," he said.

"Good then," I grinned. "Have you ever used side-along-apparation before?" He shook his head.

"Tonks," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you volunteer for this? To take me in?"

"Well, I don t know, actually. But I knew that any other Auror would have brought you to a boring house and showed you a guest room without really caring. You would just have boring days, doing nothing. And I figured that I could use some company myself. The Auror-training took all of my social life away."

Harry looked shy. "Well, thank you. It means a lot to me that someone wants to take me in."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's cool, Harry. I think we ll have a great time."

He looked a little more self-conscious. "What did Fudge mean by morph?"

"Oh. I'm a metamorphmagus - that means that I can change my appearance at will." I closed my eyes and made my hair shoulder-lenght and pink. He gaped.

I smiled. "Everyone reacts like you the first time. You'll get used to it." He nodded slowly, somehow hesitant. Now, Harry, have you used side-along-apparation before? He shook his head.

"Okay. It kinda makes you outta breath, but you ll get used to it. Just prepare yourself for something uncomfortable and grab my arm."

He took a breath a grabbed my arm. I waved my wand and we were pressed trough the darkness and appeared outside my flat.

"C mere," I said, took his arm and dragged him inside. I opened the door and shoved him in. "It s a huge mess in here, but you'll get used to it since I won t clean it up in a while."

Harry laughed. "It s a nice change, actually, the muggles I live with is clinical clean."

I shuddered. "That's unnatural. What time is it?"

He looked at a wrist-watch on his arm. "About nine."

"Okay. I have the day off tomorrow, so d'you wanna go to bed early and sleep on the couch, or be up late and set up your room?"

"Doesn't matter to me," he said quickly. "You choose."

"Y'know, if you're going to live with me, you'll have to stop being so quiet. You re not like that with your friends at Hogwarts, are you?"

"No," he admitted.

"So, what do you prefer? Early or late?"

"I wouldn t mind early, actually. It s been a long day."

"Then we ll make the couch." I dragged him into the sitting room and raised my wand. "_Accio_ sheets!" A dark green sheet and a hot pink blanket flew into my hand. I waved my wand to make it settle on the sofa. It didn t look very pretty, but it would do. "_Accio_ pillow." A purple one entered the sofa.

"D'you mind the colors? I could charm them or something."

"No, it's okay," he assured me. "I don t mind."

"Good then," I yawned. "Good night. If you wake up and I'm not up yet, just grab something if you re hungry, watch the TV if you want, and borrow Padfoot if you want. That s my owl," I added when I saw his confused look. "He'll probably be in the kitchen, hooting for something to eat. Just throw him a few popcorns, or something. There s a bowl from last night on the counter, but he s learnt not to eat from it, he'll just tip it over. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"The bathroom is the door we passed in the hall, and you can take the toothpaste in there. Got it all?"

"Yeah, think so."

I smiled. "Have a good night, then. See you tomorrow." I yawned and walked sleepily to my bedroom. I'm glad my room had its own bathroom attached to it. It would make living with a guy a lot easier.

Tomorrow I would have to tell everyone. I would get the worst reaction from Mum, I think. She'd go hysterical. I could hear it perfectly - _Nymphadora Vulpecula Tonks, you are a sensible adult, how did you ever get the idea to adopt a teenager before having any experience with children at all?_ Ah well, I got along with teenagers way better than with my mother, so it was quite fine. I went to bed with drooping eyelids and dressed in a purple t-shirt labeling me as _Cheeky_ with lime green letters, and black shorts. I was asleep in seconds.

Harry's POV

Harry didn't quite know what to make out of this young witch. He knew she would be a blessing compared to the Dursleys, and she would certainly not forbid him from visiting Ron during summer. And she would understand what it meant to be a bit different.  
>He smiled as he thought of her crazy color-choices. One of the walls in the living room was dark purple, and the huge rug was hot pink. It was certainly a very nice change from the Dursley s clinical, mostly white house.<p>

Tonks' POV

I woke up in bed, feeling rested and not remembering yesterday's events quite clearly. What had really happened?

I remembered a black-haired boy being in my flat. What the hell? Had I been drunk? But I couldn t remember starting drinking, and I didn t feel hungover. I decided to leave bed, and dress properly in case the boy from yesterday was still here. I changed my shorts to jeans, added a bra underneath the t-shirt, and let my hair wear the purple spikes it had created while I was asleep.

I opened the door and found a scrawny, black-haired boy sleeping on my couch. I stopped dead in the doorway and tried to remember. Then I saw his lightning scar, and everything came flooding back. He was Harry Potter, and I had adopted him. I walked past him into the kitchen, and greeted Padfoot by pouring the popcorn out on the table for him. He hooted happily and ate them quickly before fighting me to get more than I gave him. What can I say? I love popcorn, and so does he.

Harry must ve woken from the angry hoots from Paddy (you're right, of course I named him after Sirius. It was a birthday present from him, and I miss him terribly), 'cause suddenly he was standing in the doorway, looking confused.

"Wotcher Harry," I said cautiously while bending Paddy s bill open to stop him from choking on the way-too-many popcorns stuffed in there. "Slept well?"

He looked a little stunned. "Fine. Um, why are you picking popcorn from your owl's throat?"

"He was about to choke on them," I explained knowingly as I put Padfoot back on the table. He eyed me with an offended look in his eyes, like I'd done something wrong.  
>"Does he do that often?"<p>

I laughed. "Only when I leave popcorn in the kitchen. He s crazy about them."

"Oh."

I looked around. "Oh, right - y want some breakfast?"

"Um, sure."

"Whaddaya want? Cereals, sandwiches, egg and bacon -"

"I ll take anything you do, it's okay," he interrupted quickly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, since I usually take a cop of coffee and a choclate bar for breakfast, that won t work. Mum would kill me if she found out that I fed a thirteen-year-old with choclate in the morning. She's flabbergasted enough because _I_ do - she believed she'd taught me better. By the way, I guess we ll have to visit her today." I groaned and got up to find some eggs while Harry stroke Padfoot s feathers. Paddy purred - how does a bird purr? And scooted closer to him.

I found eggs, and put them in the frying pan together with the bacon.

"I'll have to warn you - I'm an excellent customer at restaurants, but I'm a horrible cook."

"I'm sure you're not that bad," Harry said politely.

I rolled my eyes again. "Are you kidding? I threathen my friends to make them eat my cooking if I have to make them do something, and it always work."

Harry didn't reply, he just laughed politely.

I reached up for the plates, and sat them on the table, then adding the forks and knives.

"What day is it?"

He looked up. "Um, Tuesday, I think."

"Already? Damn."

"What s the matter?"

"Remus are coming today."

Remus, my personal chess-adversary, choclate-sharer and crush.

"Who?"

"Remus Lupin," I answered absent-mindedly.

"I mean, who is it? I don't want to be in the way." Harry blushed furiously.

I shook my head. "No, no, it s not like that." Even though I wished it was. "Remus and I are just friends. It s this club we have - _Half-Breeds Choclate and Chess Club_."

Harry seemed amused. "What kind of club is that? And why half-breeds?"

I gulped when I thought about Sirius. It was his mother who had given us the same label.

"Both Remus and I knew Sirius Black."

"What?"

"Remus was his friend in school, and I'm his cousin. Cousin once removed, whatever. Anyway, Harry, you'll need to know that both of us believe Sirius is innocent. He never got a trial, and the Sirius we both knew would never do that. Never go to the dark side, never betray your parents.

"How can you be sure?" his expression had hardened.

"Harry, Sirius and James were best friends. Like you and Ron Weasley. Would you betray Ron? Would Ron betray you? No way, right? When Sirius moved out, he got to live with James. They were like this." I held up to fingers, tightly crossed.

"Anyway, that s not the point. The point is that Sirius lived with a very proud family, whom I'm unfortunately related to. Anyway, in the hallway of their old house, there s a natural-sized portrait of his mother, and she screams at anyone who enters, calling them names. Remus and I are the only ones who received the lable half-breed as soon as we entered, and we decided to make something of it."

Harry looked slightly stunned. Well, I guess it's a lot to take in.

"D'you wanna know a secret?"

He nodded hesitatingly.

"Remus is going to be your DADA teacher this year."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Harry looked a little confused. "I have two questions."

"Bring it on."

"Why did she call you half-breeds?"

I bit my lip. Was Harry prejudiced against werewolves?

"Metamorphmagi are freaks and half-breeds to her. And Remus is a werewolf."

He looked quite shocked.

"A werewolf?"

"Yeah," I said nervously. "But he's all normal and very nice, except during full moon. Please say you're another prejudiced idiot."

His lips twitched into an amused smile. "I don't think I am. He can t be that bad when he s human, can he?"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, relieved.

"Okay, second question. How'd you know about Ron? Was it in _the Prophet_ or something?"

I winked. "I was in Hogwarts with all of Ron's older brothers. You started the same year I left."

"Oh, okay. Guess you heard 'bout Hermione too, then?"

Of course I had. Ron had an obvious crush on her - he d went very red once Fred and George mentioned her. But I wasn t about to tell Harry I already knew, was I?

"Who s that? Your girlfriend?"

He flushed. "No! She s not my girlfriend, she's my friend as well! It s not like -"

"Take it easy, I was just kidding. I already knew about her." I laughed.

"You're mean," Harry muttered.

"Sorry." I grinned broadly. "Y'better eat up, cause we're going out. I'm going to show you to everyone I know."

He choked. "What?"

"Just kiddin'. I guess my parents will have to know about you, and then we'll go straight to the Burrow."

He looked relieved. "Oh, alright. What about Lupin?"

"He won't be here until seven, it's okay."

_Please Review! I'd really like to know what you're thinking of this! Was anyone out of character, was my grammar horrible, would you like me to continue with this? Please tell me, this is my first Fic!_


	2. Andromeda's reaction  The Burrow

_AN: Thanks for all the reviews! They made my day once I read them, I'll try not to disappoint you! _

I was going to floo my mother before really going there, just to be safe. Mum can be very scary sometimes.

I spent half an hour trying to find my jar of floo powder, until I found it under my bed. It probably got there during my five-minutes-long cleaning session last week (Dad treathened to not bring any candy for our movie-night if I didn't clean up first - later he explained that it was mum's orders).

When everything was ready and I had thrown the powder into the flames, I stuck my head into them and said; "Ted and Andromeda's house, Williamwoods." Mum and Dad are the only ones living in that forest, so there's really no adress.

I saw the inside of my childhood home's living room, which was empty. "Hey! Mum! Dad!"

I heard hurried steps from the kitchen, and soon I saw my mother in front of the fireplace. "Nymphadora!"

"Don't call me that, Mum!"

"Don't be ridicolous, Honey, it's a lovely name. What are you doing here?"

"Um, I was meaning to tell you something."

"What?" she immediately looked nervous.

"You can't promise not to freak out, can you?" I asked without hopes.

She groaned. "I know that face. What did you do this time?"

"I adopted Harry Potter."

She stared at me.

"And that came out wrong," I added.

Her eyes shot lightnings at me. "Nymphadora Vulpecula Tonks, _what_ did you just tell me you did?"

"I adopted The Boy Who Lived."

"_Nymphadora_! Why in the name of Merlin did you _do_ that? Are you serious? _Why_?"

"Fudge asked for an Auror to adopt him, and -"

I was, not surprisingly, cut off.

"And you felt the sudden need to take care of a child?"

"He's not a child, he's a teenager," I defended myself, even though I knew that wasn't the point.

"Even worse! What were you_ thinking_ of?"

"Of him," I admitted.

She opened her mouth to argue further, when Dad entered the room. "Dora!"

Mum turned to him. "Do you have any idea about what your daughter have done?"

Dad shrugged. "Broke something?"

"She - adopted - _Harry Potter_, Ted!" she was almost shaking in anger. After all, she _is_ related to Bellatrix. Just Mum don't choose to torture me.

Dad looked impressed. "Really? When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," I told him.

Mum scowled at me. "How could you even _get_ such a stupid idea in your head? So unresponsible - Nymphadora, did you ever think of the fact that he needs a role model in his life?"

I _hadn't_ thought of that, but it wasn't a hard question. "Remus can be his role model, can't he?"

Mum rolled her eyes and Dad chuckled, "That's my girl!"

"Ted, don't _encourage_ her!" Mum growled.

"Anyway," I interrupted, "I'm bringing him here, like, _now_, so get ready and out of the way."

I saw Mum take some calming breaths as I pulled my head out. "C'mon Harry!"

He appeared by my side and I placed one foot in the green flames. "Just follow me." I stepped fully into them and disappeared. I closed my mouth tightly not to vomit, and spinned fastly into my parents' fireplace.

"He's coming trough," I mumbled as I stumbled towards the bathroom. Both of them were quite used to my reaction after flooing, so they stayed and watched the flames.

I did what I had to in the bathroom. When I got back out, Harry was sitting on the couch, and Mum and Dad in the armchairs, no one speaking.

"Awkward silence?" I asked as I sat down beside Harry.

Mum opened her mouth to reply, but Dad nodded and winked at me.

"Anyway," I started, "This feels kinda bad since Mum got so mad at me, and it's probably very embarassing for Harry, so I'll just introduce him to you before leaving. Mum, Dad, meet Harry Potter. Harry, meet my parents, Ted and Andromeda."

Harry smiled nervously and took both Mum and Dad's outstretched hands to shake them. "Nice to meet you," he said, back in his 'shy mode' again.

I took his arm and made a move to leave. "This has been very nice and all, very nice to talk to you, but we have an urgent meeting at the Burrow to attend to. If you excuse us." I quickly made our way out of the house, tugging Harry along before Mum got to say anything.

I called "I'll owl you!" over my shoulder - Mum gets mad if she doesn't hear from me in too long - and walked down the worn path leading from the yellow house. I pointed at a group of trees with a swing tied to one of them. "Guess how many times I fell down from those?"

"Do I dare to ask?" Harry grinned.

"Probably not. Let's just say, I know _everyone_ in the bone-breaking department at St Mungos."

Harry laughed and I stopped when we got out of the no-apparation-area. "We're apparating again," I told him. He nodded and gripped my arm tighter. I waved my wand and we were pressed trough the darkness before appearing outside the Burrow.

We walked up to the door, and I knocked. Molly opened and her eyes widened by the sight of us. "Tonks, what are you doing with Harry? Harry, dear, you didn't get arrested for something, did you?"

I laughed. "Of course not, Molly. Fudge wanted someone to adopt him."

"You _adopted_ Harry?"

"Yeah. Don't give me the same tirade as Mum did, please."

A smiled spread across her face. "That's wonderful, dears! Come on in, I have lunch ready in about an hour."

"You guys get up too early," I muttered. "We just ate breakfast."

"You don't get anything done if you don't get up in time!" Molly chimed.

"Where are the kids?"

"The boys are in the garden, playing Quidditch, except Percy, he's on his room, and Ginny is supposed to help me with this."

I saw Harry's eyes lighten up by the word _Quidditch_. "Wanna go watch the game, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said and smiled gratefully.

I walked with him to the back door that lead to the garden, where Bill (who was here on summer vacation), Fred, George and Ron was playing. They used some charmed ropes as goal posts, and apples as quaffles. Bill and Ron versus the twins - Ron honestly didn't get to do much, but it was an even division.

"Oy, guys!" I shouted, making Bill stop with the apple-quaffle and Fred flying into him. They both tumbled down by my feet, fighting about the apple.

Fred looked up, looking fake-surprised. "Oh, Tonks, you're here?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "No, it's some _other_ witch with purple hair. Hi Tonks."

"Wotcher," I grinned and bent down to pick up the apple. "Care if we join?"

Ron came tumbling down to the ground. "Harry! What're you doing here?"

"I got adopted," Harry simply said, looking happy.

"You'll get away from the Dursleys? Awesome! Who'd you get adopted by?"

"Now, Ron, who's here with him?" I teased. Ron blushed and went to get broomsticks for Harry and me.

Bill stared at us. "So, are we supposed to see you as Harry's mother now, or what?"

"Do I _look_ like a mother? Nah, probably more of a big sister or something. What d'you think, Harry?"

"The big-sister thing," he agreed.

Ron came back with two brooms, and we decided to make new teams. Bill, Fred and Ron versus me, George and Harry.

Bill got the quaffle (apple) first, and I sped off towards him. The old broom didn't "speed off" very fast, but I reached him before he got too far. I got up alongside him and pushed him to the side, making him drop the quaffle. Harry, who was under him, caught it and sped off toward their goal posts. Fred tried to get it back, but Harry was too quick. Merlin, that boy was born a flyer. He moved trough the air with the grace of someone like Viktor Krum.

Ron almost saved Harry's goal, but just almost. He scored, and George and I cheered.

Fred took the quaffle and zick-zacked trough our team and scored easily. George said he trimmed his broom.

The game went on, and we all enjoyed it, until Molly called us in for lunch. It turned out be pancakes, and I was first by the table.

"What was the final score?" asked Bill.

"Sixty-fourty to us," said George pleasently and high-fived me.

"What were the teams?" asked Ginny.

"Bill, Fred and Ron versus me, Tonks and Harry," George told her. "We were unbeatable."

"And still, we scored four times," Bill said with a raised eyebrow.

"Beginners luck," I told him.

Bill stuck out his tounge.

"Bill, not by the dining table!" Molly said sharply. The others laughed and we kept on chatting.

I noticed Ginny being very shy around Harry. I knew she had had a crush on him, but according to her, it was fading. I don't know if that was true, tough. She seemed quite... aware of his presence.

We stayed at the Burrow almost all day. Harry followed Ron up to his room after lunch, and I helped Molly with the dishes. Fred and George made a bet with Bill of how many times they could make Percy get out of his room. Ginny stayed with Molly and me.

"So, Gin, how're things going?" I asked while trying to be careful with the glass in my hands.

"Alright," she shrugged. "As usual. You?"

"Except I just got Harry living in my flat, as usual as well,"I answered and smiled. She laughed a little and asked Molly if there was anyting more for her to do. Molly told her no, and she disappeared up the stairs. Soon, we heard _The Weird Sisters_ music echo down the stairs. Ginny got accused for helping out Fred and George with their bet, but she got her way out of it.

I helped Molly making dinner, too, so now I know how to make macaronis without burning them. We ate during an animated discussion about wether Gilderoy Lockhart was a jerk or not. In the middle of it, Arthur got home and sat down with us.

"Tonks, have you ever heard of muggle _comtupers_? Do you know what they're used for?"

"Well, you use them for many stuff. You can write on them, you can surf on the internet and such..."

"Really? What's the internet?"

"Um... almost like the floo powder system. Each fireplace is a website on the internet. From your own fireplace, thus the computer, you can reach any fireplace connected to the system, right? From your computer, you can reach any website connected to the internet."

Arthur looked amazed.

Later, when Molly was trying to teach me knitting in the living room, Arthur sat down beside me.

"What's a website?"

When the clock was six, we told the Weasleys goodbye and apparated back home. We started to put all Harry's things into my spare room, which would be his room. Harry started to unpack his trunk as I started to get ready for my and Remus' club-meeting. I brought my chessboard to the table, placed a pile of choclate bars beside it, and hid the bottle of wine under the couch. We have this bet that Sirius started - when I was a kid, he told me that some day we would have to drink Remus under the table. I was trying to fullfill his wish.

I had just persuaded Harry that he wouldn't be in the way when I heard a knock on the door. I rushed to open it, and there he was. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, and my eyes roamed over his face, taking in his warm smile and blue eyes.

"Is it true?" he asked.

"What?"

"Did you adopt Harry Potter?"

"Um, yeah, I did. How'd you know?"

"I was at the Ministry today. You get to hear a lot in there."

"What were you doing there?"

His eyes darkened slightly. "Werewolf Control."

"Again?" I whined.

He smiled. "You whine more about it than I do."

"That's 'cause you're just too _kind_ to whine. Y'should be grateful, I'm doing it for you."

He laughed. "Thank you, then."

"Come in! I just persuaded Harry that he won't be in the way. You won't believe how much he looks like James."

_Please review! And before I forget - this is not a Harry/Tonks pairing, hope you'll think it's good anyway. And Williamwoods is all random. Now, I have a question - I'm posting another fic alongside this one, I'll try to do both at the same time. Now, which one do you want to read? My version of how it would have been if Tonks lived in the Marauders' era, called _Partners in Crime_ Forever, or my version of what would happened if Remus and Tonks survived the Battle of Hogwarts, called _The Future of the Lupins_? Review and tell!_


	3. Ellie Mitchell

_AN: This is too short, but I hope it's good anyway. R&R!_

Just a few days later, Harry was soon going to Hogwarts and had to get to Diagon Alley. Scrimgeour and I had discussed the best way to keep an eye on him at Hogwarts, and we came to the conclusion that I would disguise myself as a new student and be able to keep an eye on him constantly.

So that's why Harry Potter strode down muggle London toward the Leaky Cauldron with a dirty blond girl in his own age by his side. It felt strange being back in a thirteen-year-old body again. I didn't particulary like to be thirteen.

I was called "Ellie Mitchell" (I love picking names for myself - they actually sound normal) and I had been home schooled by my parents until I made half the house blow up. Hence, my fake parents sent me to Hogwarts to learn not to blow things up.

Harry had a hard time remembering my name.

"Ton - Ellie - you know the way into Diagon Alley, then?"

"Yeah, s'not that hard."

We walked briskly trough the crowded restaurant. Outside, I tapped the right stone and we entered the Alley.

It was really crowded, and we decided to do the shopping as quick as possible. Flourish and Botts was surprisingly quite empty, so we went in and asked for one _The Monster Book of Monsters_. The bloke groaned and took some thick gloves to take one for me.

When he handed it over, he was panting, and I carefully tapped the book with my wand, stupefying it. It worked, and the book laid still. The guy moved on to the other books on the list, and soon we were out with one bag of books each. We went on to Madam Maklins, and all the places we didn't forget. When we were almost back in muggle London, I remebered that I needed a trunk to put all the stuff in. So, we hurried back to get a trunk. _Then_ we went home.

The day is here! I'm going back to Hogwarts!

I look forward to see Hermione, Harry and Ron told me a lot about her. I also want to have Remus as my teacher... he doesn't know Ellie is me. Only McGonagall and Dumbledore knows.

We walked to King's Cross and I fell a few times, making us a bit late. When we reached the right barrier we walked straight trough it, and I saw the red Hogwarts Express again. I gazed lovingly at it as we walked towards it. I'd forgotten how much I liked and missed that train.

We got on and went to find a compartment. We met Ron on the way, who joined us in our search. Everything was full! Too bad. When we reached the end of the train, there was just one (unmoving) person in. We went inside.

"Look, it's Remus!" I squealed.

"Yeah, it is," Harry siad. "Our new teachers usually doesn't take the train."

"Remus missed the train a lot... misses everything at Hogwarts, actually. Bet he's estatic to be back."

The door opened. "Harry! Ron!"

A girl with bushy brown hair hugged Ron, then Harry, and then looked strictly at him. "Is it _true_ that you blew up your Aunt, Harry?"

Definitely Hermione.

"Um, yeah," Harry mumbled. "I didn't mean to, though."

She shook her head. "Honestly."

"He couldn't help it!" Ron exclaimed.

"I know." Hermione turned to me. "Hello. Who are you? I'm Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you, Hermione, I'm Ellie Mitchell."

"I've never noticed you before. Are you new or something?"

"Um..." I threw a look at Harry. We'd agreed to tell Hermione (since she'd probably figure it out anyway) but I didn't quite know how to say it. "Okay, this sounds weird, but I'm not Ellie Mitchell. I'm Nymphadora Tonks, this is not me, I'm a Metamorphmagus, an Auror and I've adopted Harry and I'm here to protect him."

She gasped. "Really?"

"Yep. Fudge came to the office the other day and wanted someone to protect him, and there I was, living alone in a flat with no social life."

"Why are you telling me, then? Isn't supposed to be a secret?"

"Well, Harry and I figured you'd figure it out by yourself anyway, so there was really no point in not telilng you."

She turned to look at Ron. "You also knew about this?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, they came to visit a few days ago."

We all sat down, and Hermione asked me, "But still, isn't secretly stamped information? Shouldn't we be more quiet about it?" she trew Remus a look.

"Oh, no problem. That's Remus, he knows as well. I've known him since I was little. He's your new DADA teacher."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So, you're a Metamorphmagus? I've read all about them, and it sounds fascinating? Is it unpolite to ask about your true form?"

I laughed. "Not at all. I can't show you now, though. My clothes would be too small. But I'll show you another time."

"What are we supposed to call you? Nymphadora, was it?"

"Do me a favour and never call me that name," I shuddered. "It's horrible. I usually go with Tonks, but in public you'll have to call me Ellie, I guess."

Hermione kept on asking me questions about Metamorphmagi, Aurors, and everything under the sun, until the train started to slow down.

"Brilliant," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Remus to try and see outside. "I'm starving, I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"Hermione's right," I agreed. We weren't supposed to be there yet in a while.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train slowed down even more, and soon the only thing we could hear was the smattering rain outside.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. The train came to stop with a jolt and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, suddenly, all the lamps went out and everything went dark.

"What's going on?" asked Ron.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Ron hopped out of her way and landed on my toe.

"Damn! And that was mine! Get off!" I whispered. "Everyone, could you get back into your seats -"

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -" a new voice said.

"Hello, Neville," said Harry. I felt something snap in my stomach. Neville Longbottom. The boy who my aunt almost made an orphan.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down -"

Hissing. A yelp of pain. Neville had tried to sit on Hermione's cat, Crookshanks.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," Hermione said.

"No, I'll do it," I quickly said. If this was what I suspected (a search for Sirius) I didn't want anyone to leave the compartment. I got up and headed towards the door, but bumped into two other persons. Both of them squealed in pain. Hermione and Ginny.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked.

"Who's _that_?" Ginny shot back.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here! I'm here!" Harry said. Apparently someone had tried to sit on him.

"Ouch!" Neville.

"Quiet!" Remus! He'd probably woken up by all the noise. I heard him moving, and then the fire in his hands lit up and I could see him properly.

"Stay where you are," he said in his hoarse voice, and headed towards the door. I quickly got on my feet to stand beside him.

Before there was time to do anything else, the door started to open. I felt the familiar coldness creeping towards me, and I prepared myself, trying to think of good stuff. _I'm going to be Remus' student all year... I made it, and I'm a qualified Auror..._

The dementor was now in the doorway, sucking in a rattling breath. I saw Harry passing out and Ginny shaking in the corner of my eye. Remus stepped over Harry's unconcious body, and I quickly followed. I know Remus would be annoyed with me later, but I didn't care about that now.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go." Remus said. He drew his wand and I saw him prepare for casting a Patronus. We rose our wands identically and said "_Expecto Patronum!_" in chorus. Remus' wolf and my tigress flew towards the dementor and it glided away.

The lights was turned on. Remus, Ron, Hermione and I kneeled down by Harry's side.

_So, what did you think? Bad? OK? Review and tell! And, if you're a fan of Lupin and Tonks, go read my other story, "The Future of the Lupins" and review! Thank you!_


	4. Meeting Draco and Remus

_I'm sooooo sorry for the delay, but since you've been waiting, I won't give you all the excuses. Read and Review! _

The next days, I was disappointed to see there was no DADA lessons. I shook it off - it would be one soon enough, after all - and started to eat my breakfast, having a childish who-finish-first competition with Ron. I won - Ron sullked for about half a minute - and off we went to the North Tower.

I didn't have Difination during my time at school - my mother told me that it was a ridicolous subject - but I knew the way. I did go up there with Bill or Charlie a few times.

So we got there in time, and Harry went first up the ladder. I followed and sat down with Harry, Ron and Hermione by a table when a woman with huge eyes appeared.

"Welcome," she siad. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last. "Sit, my children, sit." The rest of the class did so. "Welcome to Divination. My name is professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye. So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magic arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight..."

And there I got bored, and stopped listening. C'mon, I've got more important stuff to think of than if I have the Sight or not. Important stuff like... Remus Lupin.

I think I'm exaggerating this crush nowadays. Must've something to do with the fact that I don't see him as much as usual. I'm not this obsessive usually, am I?

Okay, maybe I am.

Oh, Trelawney started the lesson. I hurried to follow the others to get a tea cup. I got one, broke it, and got another. I drank the tea, and then switched cup with my partner - Hermione - and looked into the book to compare it.

Hermione snorted. "Don't _you_ think this is bullshit, Tonks? Honestly."

"Why're you callin' me 'Tonks'?" I asked and shot her a pointing look. She quickly slapped her hand to her forehead. "God, Ellie, I'm sorry. It's just that - you look so much like my muggle cousin, called Tonks. I'll try not to do it again..."

"S'okay," I winked. "Now, even if this _is_ bullshit, try to predict something for me."

She snorted again and looked into my cup. "It looks like a falcon. The books says it means that 'you have a deadly enemy.'"

"No surprises," I murmured.

"What?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"Nothing," I answered, thinking of Bellatrix Lestrange. "Let's check yours..."

"Who's your deadly enemy?"

"No one," I answered. Too quickly.

Hermione looked suspicious as I looked down into her cup. She wouldn't let it go.

"You have a triangle, meaning you will end up as the new female version of Merlin." I said in an attempt to distract her from my enemy.

She giggled, and I sighed quietly in relief. I got her distracted at least, but it probably wouldn't last long.

I noticed professor Trelawney standing behind Ron, when she suddenly asked to see the cup he was holding. Me and Hermione turned to look at them.

"The falcon... my dear, you have a deadly enemy."

Hermione threw a glance at me before whispering loudly - "But everyone knows _that_. Well, they do," she continued when Trelawney stared at her. "Everyone knows about Harry and You-Know-Who."

While Harry and Ron stared at her, I cracked up completely. I'd never thought I'd live to see the day when Hermione spoke like that to a teacher.

Now the class was staring at me.

"Is there something you want to share with us, miss Mitchell?" Trelawney asked coldly.

"No professor," I said as respectfully as I could, before starting to laugh again. She looked like I'd just told her to come up at five in the morning and take a drink at the Hog's Head with me and a unicorn.

"Would you please leave, miss Mitchell. I'm trying to teach here. And you've got detention - five o' clock tonight, in here."

"Got it," I giggled and walked out. Maybe I should go find Remus' office? No, he was probably having a lesson. I could morph and pretend to be late? No, I woudl need a sick student for that...

I climbed down the ladder and skipped off towards the staircase. Somewhere on the fifth floor, I ran into a blond kid in Harry's age. I tripped over him.

"Watch where you go!" He exclaimed angrily.

"Sorry_ Malfoy_," I smirked. How nice to see my little cousin.

"How'd you know my name? You're the new one, aren't you?"

"Sure am. And it's kinda hard _not_ to hear something about you."

"Really? And what did you hear?"

"Oh, just some random facts. That you're in Slytherin, hates Harry Potter and mudbloods."

He got an offensive look in his eye. "Are you a mudblood?"

"No."

"What's your bloodstatus?"

Honestly? Bloodstatus? Bloody hell, that little boy shouldn't even know what bloodstatus meant!

"Pureblood."

"Heritage?"

"Distant relative to the Blacks, somehow."

"Not some Weasley, are you?"

I got angry about the remark, but hid it well. I had to come up with a good heritage. I think it would make good not being on Malfoy's bad side - if I wanted him to lay off Harry.

"No." I used my well-practised pureblood-voice. "My family derived from Walburga Black's father's sister, Cassiopeia Black. She didn't have any known children or even a husband, so my father changed our name to my mother's maiden name."

I admit it was mean, telling those things about Cassiopeia (whom I didn't know a thing about, really). But then, if she hadn't been blasted off the tapestry, she must've been a true Black, and any true Black deserved some humiliation. She was dead anyway, and couldn't say much about it.

"Really? Cassiopeia should've been blasted off, then," he said.

"Really?" I repeated. "You don't know who my father's father was, do you?"

"No, but surely it was some mudblood filth, or she wouldn't've hidden it."

"There could be other reasons."

"Like what?"

"He died. She probably didn't want to be reminded of him." The perfect cover - he died. There was no proof.

"Hmph." He looked like he was thinking hard.

"Why aren't you at class?" I asked.

"I got kicked out for not wanting to touch the bubotubes. Why aren't you?"

I smiled. "I got kicked out for laughing at professor Trelawney's predictions."

"Oh. I don't take Divination."

"Be happy about it. It sucks."

We head steps coming. Remus came around the corner and spotted us leaning against one wall each.

"Hello, mr Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

"I got kicked out of class... _Professor_." Malfoy eyed him with thinly veiled contempt.

Remus turned to me. "I believe I haven't met you yet, miss. What's your name?"

"Ellie Mitchell, sir. I'm new."

He smiled pleasently. "Hello Ellie, nice to meet you." he shook my hand. "How come _you're_ not at class?"

"I got kicked out also, Professor."

"Why did you?"

"I laughed at professor Trelawney, sir."

"Why did you?"

"You like repeating yourself, don't you?"

Remus blinked.

"Uh, sorry professor. I laughed because I found her predictment funny. She didn't."

Remus was staring at me. At my eyes, more speficially. Oops. The eyes were the only things I left to look like usual...

"Miss Mitchell, I'd like to have a little chat with you in my office. If you excuse us, mr Malfoy."

Malfoy looked surprised as I followed Remus down the corridor. _See you_, I mouthed. He nodded and disappeared.

Remus must've figured it out. I hadn't had any lessons with him yet, so what else would it be?

He opened the door for me and I walked in. There was a grindylow in the corner, and loads of books, but otherwise there was not much in there. Yet.

He closed the door and turned to stare at me again. "Nymphadora?"

"Huh? You are the second person who's called me that today!" I exclaimed.

He raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't bellow 'Don't call me Nymphadora or I will hex you into oblivion'?"

I raised both eyebrows. "Why would I want to hex people, professor?"

"Becasue you're Nymphadora Tonks."

"No," I said slowly. "I told you before, professor. I'm Ellie Mitchell. Are you dysfunctional?"

"Drop the morph, Dora, I know it's you."

"Sorry. Clothes too tight."

"It's you!"

"You already said so." I transfigured my skirt to jeans and my shirt a few sizes bigger, threw my robes on the floor and morphed back to myself, pink hair and all.

"Dora!" Remus stepped forward and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back with a huge smile on my face, which he luckily enough couldn't see.

He let go of me. "What are you doing here? As a student?"

"I'm protecting Harry, of course."

I saw the understanding cross his face.

"Tell me," I said, "What exactly did you think when you saw it was me?"

"_Dear God, she got a daughter without telling me_!"

"And what made you realize you were wrong?" I smiled.

"Thirteen years ago, you were seven years old."

"Exactly. And besides, if I had a daughter, I actually would tell you."

"That's a relief."

"I figured it would."

"Why were you talking to Malfoy?"

"I figured -"

"You like to repeat yourself, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up, you great prat." I swatted his arm. "I figured if I make him like me, I'll get him to lay off Harry. I told him I was related to the Blacks."

"How?"

"That Cassiopeia Black had a secret affair..."

He chuckled. "Sirius would've loved that."

"Yeah..."

There was a long silence until I giggled.

He threw me a sharp look. "You're going to embarass me in class, aren't you?"

"You just wait..."

_So that's it! Did it make up for the delay? No, probably not. I've just had a lot to do and no inspiration. But, when I read my reviews, I felt so guilty and made it anyway. Hope it didn't get bad becasue of that. _

**Now, hold on and read this!**

**What kind of things do YOU hope will happen in this story?**

**I'm slowly but steady runnig out of inspiration, so please help!**

**Review or PM me your ideas, and don't hesitate! I need maaaany!**


	5. The boggart

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Here's your chapter! **

"What are you teaching us first?" I asked Remus jokingly.

He smiled. "I'm thinking boggarts for your first time."

I pretended to be angry. "You plotted this! You just wants to see your dear old friend's greatest fear, don't you?"

He chuckled. "I'm not denying that it will be interesting to see, but no, I didn't plot it."

"Ellie, you're up!" Remus called as Ron's spider disappeared. Remus seemed to tense up as I stepped forward. I tried not to imagine that it was protectiveness.

It didn't work.

I hadn't seen a boggart since I was in Auror training, and then it had been my parents, Remus, Sirius and the Weasleys dead. I was prepared to deal with it again, probably with Harry's body added. If it hadn't changed, of course.

The big spider turned to me and began to transform. I went pale when I saw what it turned out to be.

In front of me was _me_. Not the pink-haired me I usually saw in the mirror.

The real me. With mousy brown hair, the eyes of a Black, and a horrible resemblence of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Some of the students screamed in horror.

The "me" boggart bowed deeply and said; "Your will is my command, my Lord." Then she turned around to face a boggart-version of Remus Lupin. She got up and turned into my pink-haired me. She walked awfully exaggeratedly, swaying her hips a lot. When she reached him, she let her hand slide up his arm and stay on his shoulder, then sneaking her other arm around his neck.

"Remus," she breathed.

"What are you doing, Nymphadora?" he asked, smiling at her.

My heart thumped wildly in my chest. I knew what she was doing…

"I'm just doing my Lord a little favor…" with that, she pushed her knee into his stomach, and he groaned and fell to the floor.

"Why -" he started.

"Any last words, Lupin?" she smiled evilly.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I finally realized the power of the Dark Lord, how stupid I was for thinking anything else… and I acted on it."

"I knew I couldn't trust you," he said coldly.

She pointed her wand to his heart. "Avada Kedavra."

Remus fell limp into her arms, and she let him fall into a heap on the floor.

"_No_!"

The shriek of grief was so terrible and inhuman that firstly, I didn't understood that it came from me.

Tears were streaming down my face, and I was shaking violently.

It didn't stop there. A group of people was laying dead beside Remus. Harry, Sirius, my parents, Mad-Eye, Kingsley, the Weasleys…

Everything went black.


	6. Talking in her sleep

I blinked and opened my eyes. I was laying on a couch in what I recognized as Remus' office.

Oh no.

Now I remembered.

I closed my eyes again. No, no, no, no, no…

"I saw you, Nymphadora. You're awake."

I opened them again. "Yeah, I am… What happened?"

Remus came into my sight, sitting down in a coffee table beside me. "You fainted. The class were in panic for a while, after seeing someone who looked like Bellatrix Lestrange, a dead me, Harry Potter, Ron's brothers and Sirius Black."

"Oh no! You saw all of it, didn't you?"

"I did. Can't say I got what it meant, but…"

"Don't you act stupid! Now you know exactly what my greatest fear is…"

He was quiet for a while. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I thought about it. "I think I need to. Thank you, Remus."

He waited patiently for me to begin.

"My greatest fear… is to be used against my will for the dark side. To kill everyone I care about. To be the reason of your deaths…" I started to sob, and suddenly Remus held my upper body in his arms. I hid my face in his arm and tried to calm down.

"Shh, Dora… It's okay. Calm down."

"I c - can't! I just saw myself kill you…" I gripped him harder. I saw his dead body before my inner eye again and I black spots appeared in my vision.

Remus' POV

Her body fell limp in my arms again.

"Dora!"

She didn't show any signs of waking up.

Her greatest fear was being used for the Dark side that she hated. Her greatest fear was to hurt me. To lose my trust.

Did that mean she was returning my feelings for her?

She stirred slightly, and I paid closer attention to her face.

The slight frown between her eyebrows was there, the one I'd learned to recognize whenever she was stressed or worried. She was trembling slightly. Her pupills were moving beneath her eyelids. She was dreaming.

Suddenly she started to mumble quietly.

I knew she often talked in her sleep.

_It was a late friday night in Nymphadora's flat. She had insisted on me telling her the story of how I was bitten. _

_Now she was sitting quietly, staring into her fireplace. I was feeling sick. Surely she wouldn't want to ever see me again. Soon, she would tell me to leave and never come back._

_Suddenly she sobbed. Then she threw herself onto my shoulder and sobbed harder._

_Awkwardly, I put an arm around her shoulders and patted her back with my other hand. _

"_Remus… that's just… cruel!" she sobbed sadly._

"_Hm? What?"_

_She looked up at me with tearstained face. "It's plain cruel! Greyback could've bitten anyone, someone who deserved it, but he chose you! You of all people - you're kind, gentle, smart…" she sobbed again._

"_Shh, Dora… it's alright…"_

_She seemed to calm down. Slowly she fell asleep. Snoring loudly with her head upon my shoulder, I felt like my life wasn't so bad, as long as she was in it._

_She mumbled quietly. "Damn Greyback… Bloody… Cruel."_

_The next day, she had explained to me that she often said personal things in her sleep. "Y'should've head me when I was in school and in love," she had laughed. "I talked about the guys I liked all night. I got to hear it from my dorm-mates in the morning, though. Eventually I put a Silencing Charm around my bed."_

After that day, I had heard her talk in her sleep many times, and I knew the signs. She was starting again.

"Damn boggart. Bellatrix…"

"Wake up, Dora."

"Remus..."

"Yes, I'm here. Now get up."

Nymphadora said with surprising clarity; "I love you, Remus."

He looked sharply at her peaceful face. "What?"

She snuggled closer into my chest. I felt my heart swell in my chest.

I shouldn't be feeling that kind of things for her...

She opened her eyes.

**R&R!**

**What did you all think of the boggart?**

**I want comments on it!**

**Please?**


	7. Sirius Black

**ATTENTION!**

**I am going to change my name after this chapter, just for everyone's information. Now read your chapter.**

I was trying to fall asleep when I heard it.

Light, tapping footsteps outside the dorm. No students was supposed to be up this late. I stepped out of bed and peeked out to the corridor.

I clamped my hand to my mouth to stop the scream. My heart bumped wildly in my chest.

"S - Sirius?"

The skeleton-like figure turned around. His face was hard to see in the dark, but it looked like it was made of wax, and it reminded me of a vampire.

"Dora?" his voice sounded hoarse, like he hadn't used it in a long time.

Lucky that I'd slipped back to my natural form tonight.

What was he doing here? Did he really go insane?

"Sirius! What the_ hell_ are you doing here?"

"Are you going to turn me in?" he asked bitterly.

I shook my head. "C'mon, follow me. _Quietly_."

I walked down the stairs and out of the portrait hole. There I stopped for a bit. "You did this to her?"

"She didn't let me in," he answered casually. "Where are we going? And why aren't you turning me in?"

"Do you _want_ to get turned in? Otherwise, shut up. You're a wanted man, in the middle of Hogwarts."

He didn't make a sound until we reached Remus' office.

"What the hell, Dora? What did you say about _not_ turning me in?"

"Shut up! This is Remus' office, so calm down!"

"Remus? He's a teacher?"

"_Shut up_!"

I opened the door magically and stepped inside, casting a Silent Spell on the room. Then I turned to Sirius.

"It's really you, Sirius?" The shock was beginning to make its way to me, and I felt tears prickle my eyes.

He suddenly came forward and hugged me fiercely. "Yes Dora, it's really me."

The tears ran down my cheeks freely as I hugged him back tightly.

I heard steps behind us.

"Hugging party?"

Sirius let go of me and turned around slowly. "Moony?"

A slow smile was gradually reaching Remus' lips. "Padfoot."

**ooooo**

"You're here to kill Peter, then?"

"Yes."

"How d'you know he's here?"

"The paper." He took a Daily Prophet and showed us. There was the Weasleys, in Egypt. "There he is." he pointed at Scabbers.

I looked closely. The rat had no... finger on one of its feet. And that was Peter.

I inhaled sharply.

Remus stayed calm, as always.

And Sirius shrugged as he stuffed his mouth full with the food I went down to the kitchens to get for him.

"But how could we kill him?" I asked shakily. First, I didn't like the thought of killing, even if Peter deserved it. Second, I was still shaky from the shock. I wish Remus would put his arms around me or something, but he'd been mysteriously distant since I fell asleep in this very sofa. I dont know why, though.

"I was going to use this," Sirius said and pulled a long knife out of his clothes.

I ignored him. "If we kill him without telling the kids, it would destroy Ron and Hermione's friendship completely. Ron think it's her cat who makes him so stressed."

"Who's Ron and Hermione?" asked Sirius, confused.

"Harry's best friends," I said, "and we have to explain to them. Harry already knows that you're innocent, but I'm not sure if he's told them."

"How can we get them alone?" Remus mused.

I snorted. "I take them in here some day."

"Of course."

Sirius had fallen asleep.

**R&R!**


	8. Telling

"We should wait till after the exams," I said. God knows Hermione were nervous enough as it was.

"You're right," Remus agreed.

"Of course."

"You cocky little girl."

**OOOOO**

McGonagall actually _smiled_ at my perfect tortoise. "You may leave, miss Mitchell." She shook her head.

I grinned back at her and turned to leave, tripping on the stool's leg.

As I exited the door, Hermione was jumping up and down nervously.

"Hermione, calm down. We're supposed to worry about Harry and Ron now."

"I know, but... I think mine... It looked like a turtle! What if that takes the mark down?" She looked absolutely frightened.

"Mione... You're lucky to even transfigure something resembling a tortoise. Not every third year can." I smiled. "Hell, I know an Auror who can't."

"What?" she gaped. "Who?"

"Dawlish," I giggled. "I promised not to tell anyone that, but I'm sure you won't say anything..."

Hermione was jumping up and down again as Harry came into the room. "How did it go, Harry?"

He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It looked... uh... decent."

I put my arm around his shoulder in a friendly gesture. A passing Ravenclaw third-year girl sent me a murderous glare.

"Whoa, did you see that?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, amused. "And she doesn't even know him."

"Seriously, soon I'm going into overprotective-sister-mode. And it won't be pretty."

Harry spoke up. "Just... don't attack anyone, okay?"

I laughed. "Okay."

Hermione looked at me. "You know, going into sister-mode would be weird now. Everyone thinks your together or something."

I looked up at her, startled. "Everyone? Exactly how many is that?"

"Enough to keep the girls talking about you in the bathroom every day."

"Oh dear." I bit my lip. "What do they say?"

She rolled her eyes. "Mostly that you don't deserve him, becasue any of them would clearly suit him better. They also think that you don't understand what he's been through."

I choked on my intended laughter. "Yeah, cos they're the Aurors and I'm the little school girl."

Harry and Hermione laughed.

I saw Draco Malfoy pass us. He made a discreet wave to tell me to come over.

"What the hell does he want you to come for?" Harry asked.

"It seems like you'll be the overprotective sibling yourself, Harry." I winked. "When I was sent out of Divination, we met in a corridoor and talked. He thinks I'm a distant relative of the Blacks, and not the way I really am."

"You're related to the Blacks?" Hermione asked. "Wait - answer that later. Go talk to him."

I nodded and approached Malfoy.

"Why are you hanging around with that Mudblood and Potter?" he spit out.

"They're very nice," I said, controlling myself not to yell at him. "You know, not all mudbloods are scum. You know someone can be an amazing person, even if his or her heritage are bad? Not all uf us have a perfect blood status, and no one can help what family they're from."

"I suppose," he muttered.

"Please, think it over, Draco. It would do you good."

He snorted.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yeah..." he turned around and walked away. I shook my head and returned to Harry and Mione.

**OOOOOOO**

The rest of the exams passed fast - and easily. Now they were over, and I was excited to tell them about Sirius as soon as possible.

We were sitting under the tree by the lake with some of the other Weasleys. Hermione was reading, despite my and Ron's complaints. Harry fiddling with his wand, gazing out over the lake. Ron was eating. Fred and George was planning a prank on Percy. Ginny were sitting beside me, gazing at the lake but stealing glances at Harry.

"What are you thinking of, Harry?" I asked.

"Well, it's weird," he begun. "For everyone else, it's always been that they're excited for summer, happy to have no home work. I've always been depressed about it. But for the first time, I'm looking forward to it." He smiled happily at me, and I felt a little moved.

Stop it. The Great Nymphadora Tonks do not cry in puplic.

I stopped the tears from leaving my eyes and sighed in relief.

**OOO**

Later that night, in the common room, I told the three of them that I was going to tell them a secret. They were all confused, but agreed to get the Invisibility Cloak and come with me.

Sirius and Remus had been hidden in the Shrieking Shack ever since Sirius came. So I led them out and pressed the right knot on the Whomping Willow's trunk. We went inside with a lot of unanswered questions from Ron.

We went through the tunnel and up to the shack.

"Where are we?" asked Ron.

"The Shrieking Shack," I answered and turned to face Ron and Hermione. "Now, I have something important to explain to the both of you." I slowly morphed back to my normal me, with pink hair. "And don't judge."

They both nodded.

"Sirius Black is innocent."

Hermione gasped, Ron stared at me.

"I know how it sounds, but look. Sirius was the Potter's Secret Keeper. But Sirius suspected that Voldemort would come after them, so the decided to ask James and Lily to change Secret Keeper - to Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew wasn't a very good wizard, and Sirius figured that Voldemort would never think that they chose Peter.

"But as it turned out - Pettigrew was a traitor. He was a Death Eater, and he told his master where Lily and James were. After they were killed, he cornered Sirius and yelled at him for things that he'd done himself. Then he turned into his Animagus form - a rat - cut his finger off to make it believable, and escaped. Sirius got blamed, and he's not really after Harry. He's after Pettigrew."

A long silence followed my words.


	9. Escape of the rat

As I watched Harry talk about his parents with Remus and Sirius, I wondered what big things he'd end up doing. He had such a big heart, and I knew he'd do something important, fight for what's right. Harry always makes the right choice, no matter what. I knew he'd make me proud one day.

The sister-thing is really getting to me now. I can't help but wonder how the years will affect us. I don't believe that Voldmort is really gone, and I'm sure Harry will have a run-in with him at some point.

Their conversation interrupted my thoughts. Sirius was just done explaining the whole Animgus-thing, Godfather-thing, and how it was all Peter's fault they were dead.

Well, there was just one thing left. To tell him that Peter was Scabbers.

For the moment, Harry looked defeated. "How will we ever be able to find one single rat, only knowing he's missing a toe?"

Sirius looked at Remus and me. "About that. We know where he is."

"_What_?" Harry jumped out of his chair. "Where?"

"Calm down," Sirius told him. "And, uh, we need your friend Ronald here."

Ron and Hermione had been standing with me by the wall, Ron still looking shocked and Hermione thoughtful. I took both of them to the couch.

"That is Scabbers." Sirius pointed at the squirming thing that was Ron's rat.

"You can't be serious," Ron mumbled.

"Look at his toe," Remus said.

Hermione grabbed Scabbers' - Peter's - tail and held him up for everyone to see. Ron gasped.

"Why d'you think he's squirming and screaming all of a sudden?" I asked rethorically.

Ron mumbled; "Does this mean you have to kill him?"

"I'm afraid so, Ron," Remus said while trying to keep Sirius at his place. I went over to help him.

"Ron, he's the reason Harry's parents died," I reminded him.

Ron still looked doubtful.

During his silence, Peter managed to squirm out of his grasp.

"_NO_!" Sirius roared and threw himself after the escaping rat.

"_Stupefy_!"

"_Accio rat_!"

Nothing worked. Peter was gone.

**There will be a longer chapter following up to this one, just be patient with me. **

**R&R!**


	10. Summer plans

I had just left Harry at the station, and was now walking back through Hogsmeade towards the Shrieking Shack, where Sirius and Remus were waiting for me. I'm going to force Sirius to move in with Harry and me - that shouldn't be hard at all, all things considered.

I disillusioned myself and wandered into the shack, to find Sirius and Remus on he couch, rebonding.

I took away the spell and smield at their surprised faces. "Wotcher, boys."

"Hi, Dora," Sirius greeted. Remus just smiled at me.

"So," I sat down beside him, "Where are you planning on going?"

He looked around. "I think I'll stay here, until I find something more... permanent."

"Not going back to Grimauld?"

"No way."

"Ah well, so how d'you feel about a flat?"

He stared at me. "What are you talking about?"

"Harry and I could use some company, y'know."

Sirius' worn face slowly turned into a wide grin. "Really?"

"I'm an Auror, they wouldn't think to check my flat for Sirius Black."

He flew up from the couch and hugged me tightly.

I hugged him back. "I've actually been thinking of getting a bigger place soon, but that would be in the end of summer. So you get to spend the summer with us, on vacation! And we're not going if Remus doesn't come, too."

Sirius flew to Remus' feet. "Please please please Moony, come with us?"

Remus looked at me. "Where are you going exactly?"

"We're going to Sweden!" I exclaimed. "C'mon Remus, you can't let me go there with a thirteen year old and Sirius, can you? It would be the death of me."

"I suppose I can't."

"_YAY_!"

Remus me a meaning look and we rolled our eyes at the same time.

"Come on," I said. "We have to get him to my flat before Harry gets off the train. We have to explain to his Aunt and Uncle."

"'We' as in..."

"As in Remus and me, Sirius. You are not going out."

"I think it's supposed to be 'Remus and I'."

"Whatever. How are we going to get him safely there?"

"We'll take him in his dog form. No one knows he's an Animagus."

"_Stop talking about me like I'm not here_!"


	11. Packing

"Sirius, _get bloody over here before I go and get you myself_!" I shrieked.

"I'm coming!"

"You're going as a _dog_, you must be done packing! All you need is your dog-lead and a toothbrush!"

"I need my hairproducts!"

"You can borrow mine! We need to go_ now_!"

"I don't want my hair smelling strawberry!"

"There's nothing wrong with strawberry! Now get your bloody arse here!"

"Coming!"

Sirius strutted around the corner, carrying a plastic bag which I quickly took from him and checked. No drugs? Check. No alcohol? Check. Nothing potentially dangerous in Sirius' hands? Well, the razor blades...

Remus was convincing Sirius that he had to transform.

"Sirius, now!"

"No!"

"Do you want to come or not?"

"Yes I do!"

"Then do it!"

Harry was already standing by the door, waiting with a grin on his face. "What are you grinning at?" I asked.

He shook his head, smiling. "This is so opposed to the Dursleys, it's bizarre. It's like I'm going on vacation with two tornados and a teacher."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I decided.

I took Sirius' now furry heard in my hands and forced the dog collar around his neck. He squirmed. I attached the dog lead to it and handed the end to Remus. "Everyone ready?"

"Yep."

Remus sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be to go on a vacation with a teenager, a convicted murderer and a... well."

I rolled my eyes. "Just come on." I tugged on the lead and walked out the door. Remus locked the door and we all went out on the street, and into the taxi I'd called for.

**I'm sorry about it, but I changed my mind - there won't be one long chapter. That would take a lot of uneccesary time. So, it will instead be loads of small chapters. That will hopefully go faster, and you won't have to wait for as long.**

**Uh, one more thing - if I end up getting NO REVIEWS AT ALL, I'll probably end it.**


	12. Room troubles

"I ordered _three rooms_, then I_ want_ three rooms!" I yelled at the receptionist. His name-brick said his name was 'Linus'.

"I apologize, miss," he said, nervous under my piercing glare. His english wasn't very good. "We have problem with booking, only two room left."

Remus touched my shoulder to make me calm down, and said "I'm sure there are extra beds, Dora. We'll be alright." He turned to Linus. "Is there any extra-beds in the rooms?" he asked politely.

Linus shook his head. "No extra beds. Used for the other guests. It is one double bed in each of your room."

Before I could start yelling again, he whispered in my ear; "Calm down, we're wizards, remember?"

Of course we could part the beds with magic. What was I thinking? "Thank you for your help, can I have the keys?"

He handed me two card-keys while muttering some words in swedish. "Uppkäftiga kvinnor." **(Translations will be in the end of the chapter)**

We went into the elevators, and Harry pressed the right button. When we found our rooms, we gathered in one of them, locked it and let Sirius transform.

Sirius immediately raised his wand to part the double bed in the room.

It didn't work.

Remus tried as well. "I assume that a witch or wizard works here, and has put an unbreakable charm on the bed. That's rather clever," he said.

"That means we have to share beds!" Sirius exclaimed with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Since Tonksie and Harry would be considered pedophile-istic, that is forbidden. Same works for Moony and Harry. Hence, I will share with Harry as a dog. Problem solved!"

Remus and I looked at each other. That was the sensible solution.

"I guess..." he started.

"If we just..." I continued.

"Stay dressed!" Sirius exclaimed. "Perfect! If you excuse us, Harry and I are going to check our room out."

They left, Sirius with an arm around Harry's shoulders.

**Translations:**

**Uppkäftiga kvinnor = Cheeky women**

**This is real swedish, not some guesses on Google Translate. Just so you know - cos there will be more swedish in this.**

**This is a veeeryy short chap, but I'll make a new one as soon as possible. Please review!**


	13. Sleeping arrangements

Remus and I looked at each other uncomfortably. What a situation we got ourselves in.

"Sorry," I muttered. "I booked the rooms, this is my fault."

He shook his head. "It's not your fault, Dora, it's nobody's fault."

She shrugged. "I feel guilty anyway."

"Don't be," he said, and then looked at the clock. We had been driving really long, it was late, and we all should sleep. "So, which side of the bed do you want?" he asked.

I laughed. "It doesn't matter, really. You know me; I'll just push you to the floor in my sleep and take the whole bed. Remember when I was supposed to sleep on your couch?"

We both laughed as we remembered the time he found me under his coffee table in the morning.

I grabbed one of my bags and went into the bathroom. Now, what do you wear when you're going to sleep beside your best friend?

A pink, oversized t-shirt which reached my knees would have to do. I put it on, shortened my hair to a boy's style so it wouldn't get in my face when I was sleeping, and walked out.

He was already in bed, book in hand. He was wearing an old, blue-striped pajama which clung to his upper body nicely. I morphed my blush away – I really shouldn't think of that kind of stuff right now.

"I'm going to go check on Harry."

"You do that," he said, not looking up from the book. I left the room and walked to the next door and unlocked it. Harry had been clever enough to return the key to me as soon as Sirius got into the room.

"Harry?"

"Here," I heard a whisper from under the bed. His black head peeked out. "Could you please tell Sirius to stop… whatever he's doing?"

I stretched out my hand and helped him up. "Is this mysterious activity the reason you're hiding under the bed?"

"Yeah," he grimaced. "Snuffles were running all over the place, almost making me fall over."

"_Sirius_!" I yelled.

The big dog appeared from the bathroom, his mouth dripping water. He waved his tail and started to jump around me in happiness.

"Sirius Black, if you don't stop right now, you're sleeping in the bathtub. Now stop it and let poor Harry sleep."

Sirius yelped before running back into the bathroom – and starting to drink water from the toilet.

"Uh, Sirius –" Harry started. "I might've forgotten to flush that earlier…"

The dog flew up from the toilet and immediately tried to flush the toilet with his paws.

Harry and I fell into a fit of laughter. "I was just kidding, Sirius," Harry laughed, his eyes filled with mirth.

Sirius sent Harry a very offended look and put his head back into the toilet.

I flicked my wand and made the toilet lid smash down onto Sirius' head. He yelped again and looked accusingly at me before jumping into the bathtub, curling into a furry ball.

I laughed. "Goodnight Harry. Sirius." I gave Harry a one-armed hug and left the room.

Remus had stopped reading. As I also got under the blanket, he looked at me and asked; "Sirius were having a good time?"

"Yeah, but Harry and I took care of him."

"Of course you did."

**This is short, I know, but I wrote it while I was stuck for hours without internet earlier today -.-' I will try to write a new one as soon as possible - does "shopping trip with Sirius" sound fun?**

**Please review!**


	14. Planning the day

The next morning, I woke up yawning, only to realize that I had fallen asleep on Remus' outstretched arm. I blushed and flew up to a sitting position.

Remus was still sleeping, so I simply watched him for a while. He looked much younger, more relaxed, when sleeping.

I enjoyed the sight for a little while, before getting up and changing into first available outfit – which was a pair of jeans-shorts and a bright yellow tank top. I added a jeans jacket and morphed my hair brown with blue strikes, before going into Harry and Sirius' room.

"Harry," I whispered. "Harry, wake up. "

Harry moved a little, mumbling something unrecognizable.

"_Harry_!"

"What?" he sat up, looking around wildly, trying to find his glasses.

"It's just me," I said. "Time to get up."

"Oh. I'm on my way."

"Just get down for breakfast when you're ready. We still don't know what to do today."

Harry yawned. "Alright, I will."

I walked into their bathroom, and found Snuffles sleeping in the bathtub. Right under where the water comes out. I grinned and turned the water on.

"_Aroooo_!"

I clutched my stomach with laughter and mirth as Snuffles jumped out of the tub and tried to shake the water out of his fur. Then he turned towards me, growling. I gulped and ran out, locking him in the bathroom.

Harry was also laughing as I left the room.

As I entered mine and Remus' room, Remus was still asleep. I walked toward him, intending to wake him up, when my foot caught a table's leg. I fell over, my knees hit the bed, and I landed half on Remus, half beside him.

His eye jerked open and stared at me.

"Any particular reason for this assault, Nymphadora?"

"No. I fell."

"Really?"

"Git." I rolled off him and sat up. "It's time to get up, mister. Breakfast-time."

He smiled. "I remember the first time the marauders ate breakfast at a hotel. Sirius managed to disapparate and brought all the food with him. We found him later eating in the bathroom."

I laughed.

"So, what d'you blokes wanna do today?" I asked, stuffing a bagel into my mouth.

"Dunno," Harry shrugged.

"Partying!" Sirius suggested. He was disguised as the same man he'd been on the airplane. "I've heard that the Swedish females are blonde and willing!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "I suggest we keep Sirius away from society."

"So it's up to me to decide, then." I flashed them my evil smirk.

Sirius broke down sobbing. "No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no… Don't ever let Tonksie decide! She's going to take us to a saloon and make us dye my hair green, Moony's blue, and Harry's purple!"

We stared at him. He shrugged.

I shoke my head. "I was thinking a shopping trip. Harry needs a haircut, and while in a saloon, we could summon some polyjuice-hair for Sirius, so he doesn't have to be a dog all the time."


	15. Cake Country and Muffin Paradise

Remus and I sat on a bench, trying not to look suspicious. Sirius and Harry were hiding somewhere behind us, waiting for us.

Remus raised his wand silently. "_Accio_," he whispered.

A few hairs from the floor of the hair-saloon's floor flew into Remus' hand.

I casually opened my bag and pulled out a plastic bottle, opened the lid and handed it over to Remus. He discreetly dropped the hairs into the liquid, then put the lid back and stood up. We walked over to the thirteen-year-old boy and the dog. Remus, Harry and the 'dog' walked into the males' bathroom while I waited outside.

A few minutes later, Remus, Harry and a tall, well-built, blonde man with green eyes came out.

"Why hello, Handsome," I winked.

Sirius visibly enjoyed the attention. "Greetings, young lady," he said and bowed, then took my hand and kissed it.

I swatted his head. "Bad dog."

Harry and Remus laughed, and I ducked behind Harry to avoid Sirius' playful fist.

Sirius straightened up. "Let's go shopping."

We began with splitting up. Remus and Sirius went to look for necessary products, like pizza, Coke and popcorn, while I brought Harry to a muggle, like, eye-doctor. I got him new glasses, a new haircut, and a number of new outfits. Harry of course wanted to pay for himself, which I refused.

We went to find the others - which turned out to be quite the challenge.

"Remus! Sirius!"

No answers. They seemed to have disappeared.

I walked up to a woman who worked in the shop they went to. "Have you seen two men? One of them tall and brown-haired, the second one black-haired and looking a little like a dog?"

She snorted. "Sure have. The tall one was restraining the other from eating the dog food. Do you know them? Does he have mental problems?"

"Yeah, he does," I answered quickly. "Which way did they go?"

She smirked. "The shorter one left a note for 'a lady with pink hair and a black-haired boy with glasses'. Here you are."

_We have gone to find Cake Country and Muffin Paradise! You can't stop us!_

_/Padfoot._

"Damn."

**AN: I am REALLY sorry for this late update... I won't give you all the excuses. But I need help with ideas - please tell me what you want to happen on their vacation! Suggestions for how Remus and Dora might get together are also welcomed ;) R&R!**


	16. Worried

We found Sirius sitting in a toy shop eating muffins. Remus was nowhere to be found.

I asked him again. "Sirius, where is Remus?"

"Won't tell."

"Sirius!"

"Aw, is little Nymphie worried about her boyfriend?" he flashed his eyelashes.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I'm _worried_, Sirius, Remus is gone and won't send the patronus back! Who _wouldn't_ be worried?"

Sirius shrugged. "Maybe you're right."

"So you'll tell me?"

"Nope."

Then, as a gift from above, I saw a small piece of parchment gliding over the floor towards me. I caught it.

_Dora,_

_Sirius locked me in the ladies' changing rooms in a clothes store. Save me. Please. It's the place beside McDonald's…_

_Remus_

I started laughing and gave Sirius a high-five. "I'm sorry for yelling, Padfoot."

He grinned. "Forgiven." Then, before I had time to answer, he pointed his wand at me and everything around me disappeared.

**AN: I am seriously SO sorry for the huge delay. I have the next chapter planned, but I still need ideas.**


	17. More than friends

I appeared in mid-air. Then I fell.

And landed with a big bump on...

The hard floor of a changing room.

I looked up at...

A certain Remus Lupin.

The certain Remus Lupin had a very surprised look on his face.

I smiled wryly. "Hi Remus."

He shook his head and smiled as well. "Hi Dora."

I looked around. "How come no one heard my dramatic entrance?"

"Sirius charmed it, no one can hear us," he answered.

"So... is this one of Sirius' pointless jokes or are we supposed to do anything in here?"

Remus sighed again. "He told me that we're supposed to talk about the 'romantic tension' between us."

I gulped. "That's creative, even for Sirius. I would've expected him to say 'sexual' tension."

Remus laughed. "You're right. I don't know what's gotten into him."

Silence followed.

I cleared my throat. "Um. So we won't get out until we've talked about our... romantic tension."

"So it seems."

"Um..."

"Yeah."

"This is awkward."

He gave me a weak smile. "It sure is."

I sighed again. "Best to just get it over with, then, I guess?" My heart thumped wildly.

He looked quite umcomfortable. "What is there to say?"

"I love you," I blurted out.

He stared at me.

What did I have to loose? I'd been dying to tell Remus this for months, or even years, now. And I wouldn't get out of here until I actually had told him.

"I have for a long time," I started. "For months, or even years, I can't remeber. I never dared to say anything, 'cause I didn't know how you felt or what you'd say." I bit my lip and then uncounsciously morphed a fringe to fall in front of my eyes.

He slowly started shaking his head from side to side. "We... we can't, Dora."

"What?" I don't know what I'd expected him to say – probably something about only wanting to be friends. "What do you mean?"

"We couldn't be together. I'm dangerous."

I gaped. "You... you mean you actually _would_?"

His eyes widened a bit, as if he'd realised he hadn't actually said anything about that. "Belive me, Dora, if it was... possible... I would've told you a long time ago."

"Told me..." I sounded like a romance-longing thirteen year old, but I couldn't care less.

He sighed. "That I love you as well."

I let out a nervous laugh. "That was... unexpected. How long... I mean, how long have you..."

A small smile touched his lips. "About a year or so."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

"Because I'm a werewolf. I'm dangerous. and I'm too old for you. Not to mention that I'm poor."

"But I don't care about either of those things!"

The happiness which had swelled in my chest when Remus said that he loved me was fading now. He was using excuses not to be with me when both of us obviously wanted to.

I had the odds on my side, though.

I crossed my arms and smirked. "I've got the odds on my side. Sirius probably won't let us out 'till we're together."

He sighed. "You're right."

"Remus, none of those reasons are legit. How on Earth would age be a problem? Except what people think of us, there will be no problem at all."

"Exactly, Nymphadora. What will people _think_ if you get together with a werewolf twice your age?"

"First, you are not even _close_ to twice my age. And do you think I'd wear pink hair if I really cared about what people think about me? Remus, the general public has absolutely no say at all in a relationship."

"Will you say that when your friends stops talking to you because you're close to me?"

"I already am close to you. And then I will say that they're all prejudiced gits and not seeing the man you really are."

"And what if you lose your job?"

"Then that will be worth it."

He shook his head. "I couldn't do that to you, Nymphadora."

"You wouldn't do it for me. You would be doing it for me. Or with me. Whatever. If my boss is stupid enough to sack me because of you, it's his loss."

"And what would you do then? Go back to live at your parents'?"

"Aurors make a lot, Remus. I've got savings to last a few years."

He looked away.

"Now 'too old' and 'I'm poor' is out of the way. Your age isn't aything that matters until you're too old to get up the stairs – and then I'll levitate you – and your economics doesn't affect me. I have my own money." Not that I wouldn't share them with him first thing, but that would just make him embarassed. "'Too dangerous', you say."

"I could hurt you, Dora!"

"How, Remus? Tell me how. You're bloody_ locked in_ during full moon."

"I..."

"Yeah?"

"This is an unecessary conversation, Dora."

"It bloody well isn't! This is about _us_."

"There is no _us_."

That hurt. "The years of creating the trust we have for each other and becoming best friends was nothing to you, then?"

He whipped is head back to look at me. "Of course it is! You are my best friend."

"But you want us to be more than best friends."

He didn't answer.

"I know going from best friends to a couple is a big step, Remus, but I'm ready to take it. You know, I once read that in a relationship, you're supposed to be perfectly comfortable around the other. And..." I swallowed. I felt so bloody _cheesy_. "I've never been more comfortable with anyone than I am with you."

He sighed. "You're right about that. Not even the marauders could... I mean, I was always guarded around them, sure that they would soon realise what they were doing and not want to be with me anymore." He looked up at me. "I am worried that if we get together, you will reallise that as well."

I reached out tentatively and took his hand gently in mine, and squeezed it. "I wouldn't _ever_ leave you, Remus. I wouldn't ask this if I wasn't sure about that."

He squeezed my hand back. "Thank you."

I sighed. "I'm not asking you to... I'm not asking you to marry me and start a family. I'm asking you to try this out. Let's try being a couple. And if we feel that it's wrong and that we should just stay best friends, we'll forget about it and move on."

I _did_ see longing in his eyes.

"Please?"

**Review despite the horrible delay, please!**

**BEFORE I FORGET: Anymous 'Someonelikehermione' ****who reviewed a few chapters ago, LOOK HERE!**

...HEJ! Tack så jättemycket för berömmet (känns dumt att prata så, ingen gör ju det längre)! Jag bor på andra sidan landet, Västkusten ;) TACK IGEN! Hur gammal är du? :D


	18. Out of the closet

That small smile seemed to be permanent on my lips as I held Remus' hand in my own. I've waited for this forever - I'm allowed to smile like an idiot.

Remus wasn't much better – the lopsided grin on his face looked just as stupid as my own probably did.

"I knew you'd give in," I grinned and looked up at him. "It was all this repulsive cheesiness that did it, wasn't it?"

He smiled back sheepishly and hesitantly put an arm around my shoulders before answering; "Nothing you say could be repulsive, Dora, and I assure you that your, as you call it, 'cheesiness', had no power whatsoever in the decision."

"I hope so," I snorted. "'Cause if it had mattered I would've started suspecting you of being sentimental. Wouldn't want that, now, would we?"

"Oh, but wouldn't a sentimental werewolf be worth a little?"

"Maybe for a muggle tv-show."

He laughed, then looked at me, looking a little lost. "How come we always ends up in pointless discussions like this?"

Instead of giggling, like any ladylike woman probably would have, (as you may have noticed, I'm not very ladylike) I poked Remus' side so he squirmed away with a puff of laughter, and I answered; "It's a little talent we have, I'd say."

He hugged my shoulders a bit tighter and smiled.

Suddenly we heard Sirius' voice outside. "It's green, Harry! It's green! They're together!" there was the sound of a high-five. "You can come ut now!" The door flew open.

Harry was there, looking a little lost, and Sirius, jumping around like crazy, waving his hands in the air.

I flew up and pointed my wand at Sirius. "How long did you listen in?"

Harry interrupted, now grinning; "Padfoot here forgot that the charm which made the customers unable to hear you also included himself."

"So you didn't hear anything?"

"No, why?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Said anything dirty, Tonksie?"

Remus came to stand besde me, grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear; "How d'you reckon we'll get any alone-time with him and Harry around?"

I looked up at him, smiling. "For a start, when we're at our hotel room." The fact that the word 'our' now had a whole new meaning sent a wave of happiness through me, and I smiled wider. "And as for when we get home... Harry will go back to Hogwarts, and Sirius... well, I said I was meaning to get a bigger place, all of us can't live at my flat, so I guess we'll be able to lock him in a room or something."

He chuckled quietly and took my hand gently in his. I smiled and interwined our fingers.

I hadn't expected Remus to be so affectionate – not that I had anything against it. I just expected Remus to be the kind of man who'd be a perfect gentleman in public, and only show affection when alone. Maybe I'd been wrong – either that or he was just as happy as I was. Normally I wouldn't lift my hand to ruffle his hair, as I did now, but I was too happy to care.

Sirius looked disgusted. Harry looked amused.

I laughed at Sirius' expression. "Let's get on with this vacation, shall we?"


	19. Getting on with the vacation

Sirius jumped up and down in a wild dance. "This is _awesome_!" he yelled.

I was doing the same dance, jumping up and down with the beat of the music, just as the crowd around me and Sirius. Harry stood beside me, occasionally glancing up at Sirius and me, but also nodding his head to the beat.

Remus stood behind Harry, not moving. He looked horribly out of place at the concert.

We didn't even know who was playing – we'd just seen a poster-thing about a free concert tonight, and we'd decided to check it out. It was a small town a bit away from the even smaller town we originally stayed in, but car-rides weren't so bad, especially not when Remus was beside you in the front seat. It turned out to be a group doing covers of famous rock-songs. They weren't exactly _good_; but absolutely dance-able.

Sirius shook his head to the music, blonde locks bouncing on his head. I must look like a lunatic, pink hair in a mess all over my face.

The guy who'd been singing ended the song with a smile on his face. "Det var allt för ikväll!"

The audience started applauding, and the band started walking off the stage, so I assumed that the show was over. I started walking away with my followers of one teacher-looking man, one devilishly handsome blonde man in his twenties, and a thin soon-to-be-fourteen year old.

I turned around to my pack. "We have the whole night – what to do?"

"Party!"

"Sleep."

"Cinema!"

"Okay, we have three suggestions! Harry, I name you to choose one of mentioned activities!"

"Um... cinema?"

* * *

>"Decided!" I confirmed.<p><p>

In the cinema, I started to regret buying Sirius popcorn.

"This is gonna be awesome, this is gonna be awesome, this is gonna be a-awesooomee!"

"Si – Alex, _shut up_!"

He gave me an offended look. "What, Tonksie? I'm just lightning up the atmosphere!"

I rolled my eyes. "Keep quiet or I'll take your popcorn away."

"You won't! I'll protect it with my life!"

"I'm the one with the wand, remember? I took yours before entering the cinema."

He sulked for a minute or two. Then the movie started.

The movie turned out to be in swedish. Sirius took on the task to comment loudly on everything he could see on the screen, which made me very happy about the fact that the place was almost empty. Even though we couldn't understand anything, sitting beside Remus in the dark was quite cosy. Leaning onto his side while holding his hand in mine was quite romantic when he kept stroking my hair with a small smile on his face.

Since none of us could understand the film, we decided to leave halfway through. We went to eat pizza for dinner, but halfway through the meal, an owl started knocking on the big glass window to the muggle restaurant. Remus hurried outside and came back in carrying a letter for me.

_Dear Auror Tonks,_

_During the summer, the decision has been made that (please do not inform your adopted mr Potter of this) this year, a Triwizard Tournament is going to be held at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Since most of our Aurors is on leave as yourself, we have almost no aurors to use for; for example, delivering dangerous creatures for the tasks along with the Dangerous Beasts Division, testing curses which are to be used in the Tournament and such. We apologize for interrupting your holiday, but we must ask you to return to work. Your missed days of vacation will of course be refilled another time, but right now we need you in the force._

_Regards,_

_the Head of Aurors,_

_Rufus Scrimgeour_

"What is it? You look like an angry cloud, Tonksie."

"We're going home."

**Translations:**

"**Det var allt för ikväll!" = "That was all for tonight!"**


	20. Home

**AN: I listened to music while writing this, so the theme of the chapter might shift a bit as the music kept shifting between soppy love songs and the Black Eyed Peas... or maybe not, I think I managed to keep it as 'Absolute Love Songs' mostly... maybe. Tell me what you think influenced me the most xD**

As we closed the door to my flat, Sirius slumped down on the couch and fell right asleep. I rolled my eyes and told Harry he should go to sleep as well, and he did so. Remus had left to go to his house. I was going straight t work tomorrow, and Remus were coming over to babysit Sirius and Harry. I started packing up a little bit, but my eyelids kept falling down, so eventually I surrendered and laid down on the bed.

I'd barely fallen asleep when I heard a soft knock on the door. I quietly opened so I wouldn't wake Harry or Sirius, with my wand raised. I knew it probably wasn't necessary, but Mad-Eye trained me.

It was Remus.

I lowered my wand. "Remus? What are you doing here?"

His eyes were hard. "Umbridge has passed a new law. Werewolves are not allowed to inherit anything. They've taken my parents' old house."

Remus lived in his parents' old house.

"Oh, Remus!" I threw my arms around him tightly. He leaned into my embrace, leaning onto me. "Did they take all your things as well?"

He laughed grimly as he put his arms around my waist. "No, they were kind enough to move them to the Dangerous Beasts Division at the Ministry for me to pick up."

"Those bloody bastards!" I hugged him closer to me. "I'll go there first thing in the morning."

"Why you?"

"They're more likely to give them to me without fuss than to you. _You_'ll probably have to fill in papers all day first."

"You're right." I felt him place his cheek on my head with a sigh. "Thank you."

I squeezed him tighter for a moment before letting go and grabbing his hand. "Come on, you'll stay here."

He laughed. "I _will_? I have no choice?"

I started dragging him inside. "Unless you really want to go somewhere else, no. It's not like you've shown any dislike about practically living here before." There had been periods when we'd practically lived at each others' houses.

He caught me around the waist and pulled me back to him. His breath suddenly on my face made my breath hitch in my throat.

"I assure you," he said and dropped a kiss on my forehead, "that I would absolutely _love_ living with you."

I smiled brightly and wrapped my arms around his neck.

That was when Sirius Black woke up.

He walked, zombie-like, half asleep, past us and into the bathroom.

I stared after him.

"Come on, let's get out of here before he _actually_ wakes up," Remus whispered.

I nodded, smiling, and backed while I used my arms around his neck to pull him into my bedroom. He closed the door and leaned against it, again encircling my waist. "We're eloping a bit quicker than we originally planned to, aren't we?"

"You mean with you moving in here? Probably. You're not complaining, are you?"

"Most certainly not." He smiled brightly.

I smiled back, giddy like a school girl in love. "C'mon, let's get to bed." I pulled on his hand and pushed him jokingly onto the bed before dashing into the bathroom.

I heard him sigh. "Is this another round of that 'First to the bathroom' game of yours?"

"Most certainly. I don't have the energy to wait for you to get done."

I heard him chuckle softly and sit on the bed.

I hadn't been planning on showering, I was too tired, but with Remus staying here it was a completely different story. I threw my clothes into the laundry basket and stepped into the shower, trying to be effective while quick. As I stepped out, steaming from the heat, I looked at the clock and was satisfied. Seven minutes in the shower was acceptable when in a hurry.

Now onto what to sleep in. Lucky I had my sleep-wear in the bathroom.

After minutes of not being able to decide, "what the hell" escaped my lips and I put on my favourite t-shirt to sleep in, which was a yellow one with a monkey on, along with text saying 'It's banana time'. Whatever that meant.

I brushed my hair without drying it and stepped out of the bathroom to find that Remus had fallen asleep on the bed.

* * *

><p>I smiled at the sight. He did look younger, healthier and happier when sleeping. I waved my wand, and his attire was changed into a pyjamas he'd worn sometimes during the vacation – a t-shirt and long pyjamas-trousers. I levitated him under the duvet and then climbed into the bed to settle down next to him. I snuggled close to his side. During the vacation, the one night we'd slept there after we got together, he'd fallen asleep with his arm around my shoulders, and me snuggling into him like I was doing now.<p>

I woke up with both his arms around me in a tender embrace. My face was burrowed in his shoulder.

Waking up to that made me feel quite warm and comfy, and I smiled as I looked up to Remus' face.

He was awake and looking at me. "'Goodmorning, Dora."

"G'morning, Remus." I sneaked my arms around his waist, hugging him slightly.

I could definitely imagine waking up like this every day.


	21. Back to work

"I'm here to pick up Remus Lupin's belongings," I swiftly told the receptionist at the Dangerous Beasts Division.

"Of course," the young man said politely. "Come this way, please." He led me down a long corridor, and at the end there was an empty office, stuffed with all Remus' things. I gritted my teeth and used a charm to make them all miniatures, and it all fit into the bag I'd brought. The man was still in the doorway, waiting for me. I turned around to face him. "If the..." I hated the vocabulary I had to use, but I couldn't raise suspection by not doing so. "If the werewolf had come here to get it all himself, would it have been done as swiftly?" I asked him.

"Probably not, miss. He would've had to fill in a lot of forms first."

"Why is that? Why have the _creature_ do hours paperwork to get _his_ things, but let anyone walk in and get them for him without the slightest trouble? I could be an intruder, you know."

"Undersecretary's orders, miss."

I sighed. "Thanks for your help." I swiftly walked past him and made my way into the Auror office.

"Hi Tonks," Kingsley greeted.

"Wotcher, King, how are you doing?"

He grimaced. "I was dragged from my vacation as well, I miss Greece. Where were you dragged from?"

"Sweden," I informed him, walking up beside him towards Scrimgeour's office. "I miss it too. What do you think they'll make us do with the Tournament? Does anyone know the tasks yet?"

"I think they'll be informing later today. There will be a meeting half past twelve."

"Another meeting? Wonderful," I muttered. Kingsley laughed.

"Remind me again why you won't try coffee?" He asked, sniggering. "You don't like working overtime as punishment for falling asleep during meetings, do you?"

I elbowed him in the ribs. "Because then I can't stay still, and it won't do to ask for toilet breaks every five minutes."

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

I came home and enlargened Remus' things in the living room. I could hear the boys in the kitchen. I smiled and walked in.

Remus was by the oven, seemingly cooking. Harry and Sirius sat by the table with exploding snap cards.

I walked up to Remus, kissing his cheek and smiling. "Hello, Remus."

He kissed my forehead as he answered, also smiling. "Hello, Dora. How was work?"

"Oh, I managed not to fall asleep at the meeting. Scrimgeour said it was a nice change of routines."

He laughed. "It is. Your first time, isn't?"

Before I could answer, Sirius covered his ears and yelled "Oh my God, they're talking dirty things!"

Harry laughed, and as Sirius turned to grin at him, he hit the cards with his elbow, and they all exploded at once.

"I hope that doesn't leave a burn."

"It... didn't."

"It did, Sirius."

"That's not a burn."

"Yes it is."

"Are you sure it's not chocolate?"

"I am sure. It's smoking."

"Of course it isn't."

"It's starting to flame."

"Oh my God Moony! Tonksie's table is burning!"

"I noticed."

Remus lifted his wand with an amused smile. "Aguamenti."

Sirius leaned back in his chair. "Phew. Thank God you were here Remmy. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I broke into a fit of laughter.


	22. House

**AN: If there are still any people left out there reading this... I. Love. Every. Single. One. Of. You. For sticking with me... not until the very end, but this far. I am inexcusably sorry for not doing this earlier, but I'm having a major writers block, and I'm basically pushing this chapter out of the last few drops of my imagination. Painfully. It's way too short but I hope it will do for now.**

Having four people living on one flat was starting to become a bit crowded. Our daily showers collided and everyone wanted the bathroom at the same time.

After a few weeks I decided that it was time to look for something bigger. I kicked my old laptop to life and started looking for muggle houses close to London. Not that it was needed, I could always apparate to work, but still. The second alternative was close to Hogwarts or Hogsmeade, so that I could keep an eye on Harry during school if I dropped the Ellie-act. Plus, I would love to be able to visit Hogwarts whenever I wanted. Having it in walking distance, I mean. I could take Sirius for walks and he would love seeing his old school. It would have been perfect for Remus teaching as well, but unfortunately he had resigned from the teaching job, "not wanting to risk more lives for another year", despite me, Harry and Sirius begging him not to. But I knew Harry's DADA education would indeed not be neglected. I was delighted that Mad-Eye was going to teach. It was hilarious. And if he somehow did neglect it, Remus and I were all up to teaching Harry what he needed in our shared expert subject.

Remus, Sirius and Harry were all with me in the search for the right house. We needed four bedrooms – if the fourth one would be for Remus or guests, we still didn't know – plus a yard, so we could play Quidditch. If we were going as far as to buy a house we might as well get the whole package.

I found the right one when Remus had taken Harry out for some grocery shopping and Sirius were taking a dog-nap. I woke him up and showed him, and he was estatic. The house had two stores, it was wide and very country-looking with bushes growing all around it, with a small garden and a big backyard. And best of all? It was a twenty-minute-walk away from the Burrow. Not close to Hogwarts but I'm a witch, aren't I?

Padfoot drank the rest of the swedish Polyjuice and we went to get Harry and Remus. We found them at the closest grocery-store, looking confused over the vegetables.

"Remus! Harry!"

They turned around to look at me with surprised faces. "Dora, what is it?"

"I found the _perfect_ house!"

Their faces lightened up considerably. "That's great!"

The house was being sold by an old muggle woman who were going to go living in a home for elders. She looked sad to be parting from her house, but apparently that wasn't distracting enough to not look unappreciatevly on my hair. Hence I let Remus to most of the interraction with her.

Remus felt bad for not being able to help me pay, as he was going to live here as well. In the end we had decided that the big load of gold Sirius had and was not able to use would be a fair solution – Sirius was more than happy to be able to use the money on something for all of us, and technically the money were supposed to be mine too.

As soon as we got everything in, it was just as great as I'd imagined it would be. Perfect. Harry was already spending most of his time out on his broomstick.


End file.
